HELLION - Old School In Session, On A Sunday Night In Philly

October 24, 2014, 10 years ago

Mark Gromen

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As smoke billowed across the minuscule Dobbs stage, Ann Boleyn appeared onstage after all her musicians were already in place. "Resurrection/Will Not Go Quietly" served as sort of an incantation, bewitching hand motions, her arms moving lithely around her body, decked out in a black ensemble with feathery teal shoulder pads/boa. There were some mic/monitor issues the frontwoman would refer to throughout the green tinted "Hell Has No Fury" and leading into "Betrayal". The slower, gritty title track from the newly issued Karma's A Bitch CD, on sale at the extensive merch booth for just $5, came next. Former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright, his kit draped in cobwebs, was afforded a solo early, wherein he played along to a recording of the "1812 Overture", already a bombastic piece of music. Unbeknownst to most, former Queensryche guitarist Kelly Gray was the bald, Van Dyke bearded man behind the mixing console. Mouth agape and pointing into the crowd, onstage, Boleyn owes much, both in sound and mannerisms, to another diminutive singer, the late Ronnie James Dio.

A storming version of "Stromrider" gives way to a military cadence snare drum, then a brief bass spotlight, introducing "Living In Hell". "Run For Your Life" demonstrates how much energy/intensity is missing from some of the newer stuff. Lots of fists fly, from twentysomethings not even born when this one was originally written. Another solo, this time for Mohawk sporting, body builder / guitarist Maxxwell Carlisle, was filled with sweeps and hammer ons (on and on...). "Bad Attitude" has that 80s attempt at radio friendly sound, but another oldie was heartily welcomed by the small contingent of diehards. "Watch The City Burn" and 'Rockin' Til The End' (appropriately enough, final song of the proper set) rounded out  the evening, before a "Break The Spell" encore. All told, a bit more than an hour, yet an enjoyable journey decades back in time.

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